Improvement in modes of burning water for fuel



n. T. .|.0vE Modes of Burning Water for Fuel, v

No.157,01l. T Patented Nov.17 ,1a74l Wv'ihesses. I m wxw I %7Z% UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE T. LOVE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO H. T. LOVE,TRUSTEE FOR S. E. DRAKE, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MODES OF BURNING WATER FOR FUEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,01! dated November17, 1874; application filed May 2, 1873.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HORACE '1. Love, of thecity and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, haveinvented a Mode of Burning WVater for Fuel, of which the following is aspecification:

To burn water for fuel, I convert the water into steam, superheat thesteam, divide and commingle the steam with air heated not less than 212Fahrenheit, and, by the heated air, carry the superheated steam intoignited coals or other fire, to be therein decomposed into oxygen andhydrogen to become flame and to support the combustion.

The water-burning apparatus, made as sim ple as may be, to illustrate myinvention, shows, in the accompanying drawings, waterboiler k, Figure I,having lid to be loaded by weight, Fig. IV, to force steam throughleader, Fig. III, into steam-superheater b, Fig. II, and also to allowsaid lid to be a steam-escape or sort of safety-valve, when, by valve v,Fig. III, steam is shut out of superheater; valve 1; also, to regulateflow of steam, to prevent superheater'being surcharged and cooling downbelow red heat. Fig. II shows a fire-grate for a stove shown in Fig. I.

It is very obvious that the form of the apparatus to be employed mustconform, in general, to the shape of the water-burner. I do not intend,therefore, to restrict my invention to any particular form, it havingrespect to I the disposition of the apparatus rather than to shape.

The superheater b I arrange in the fire it-' self, or against it, tosecure the requisite degree of heat to the steam, or it would beineffectual to burn as fuel. The steam-outlets o I dispose to deliverthe steam outside of the fire-box, but in proximity to the bars,'tosecure its commingling with heated air, as the steam divides anddiffuses itself by the mntual repulsion of its own heated particles.Without such commingling, or to commingle with cool air, would render itineffectual for fuel.

The fire-grate I construct to swing outside of, and to turn over within,the fire-box, and to dump its ashes without disturbing the fire withinthe box. This swinging keeps the firebars clear of ashes, and providesfor keeping them hot, and for free ingress of the superheated steam, asit is commingled and carried by the air so heated into the incandescentcoals to permeate the whole burning mass, to be decomposed and to flame.Without such preparation steam would be ineffectual for fuel.

If in some parts of the fire-box the fire is weak, as it generally iswhen first kindled, or if the coal is foul, or if other contingenciessupervene unfavorable to the ready decomposing of the steam, to providetherefor, I take about one pound of common salt (chloride of sodium) toone hundred pounds of coal, if foul, or two hundred pounds, if clean,dissolve the salt in just enough water to wet the same, applying thesolution in any convenient way.

Ohlorine in fire will greatly facilitate the decomposing of steam in anycase, and add greatly to the efficiency of the fire, and as it is both acombustible and a supporter of combustion, and as the heat of sodium,when exposed to water, is so intense that it will spon taneously takefire and burn with a flame, the salt will save on the expense of coalconsiderably more than its cost. When superheated steam is applied torefuse coal, siftin gs of coalyards, or to cinders of coal-ashes, theywill burn freely with great heat for a length of time if first washed insalt or sea water.

I have cut a screw-thread on the end 0 of the superheater b to turn itwhen constructed as one of the grate-bars, that the outlets 0 0 shall bealways on the side opposite the fire in the fire-box.

To realize the best results of my invention, I use about half as muchcoal as is consumed otherwise, and twice as much water as coal, bothkindling and feeding fires with less coal than will smother the flame.Little other attention is needed through the day but to keep up thesteam, regulating the heat by air-drafts D and d, Fig. I, and valve o,and keep the firebars free of ashes.

Some of the advantages of my invention are: More heat with less coal andcost; degree of heat for forges not otherwise to be attained fuel forsteamships from the ocean with more room for freight and passengers;consuming coal-siftings and cinders; draft of S'UOX'QS richer in oxygento burn up poisonous oxide; and a more agreeable and healthy heat.

I disclaim in a water-burner any apparatus disposed outside of the fire,or not against it, to superheat the steam; or disposed to superheat inWhatever Way, if it commingle steam with air whose temperature is belowthat of steam, or 212 Fahrenheit; or however superheated, if it isdisposed to throw or eject the steam directly into the fire, whether injets or otherwise.

I claim as my invention- HORACE T. LOVE.

Witnesses:

J AMES S. SMITH, J. O. DURLING.

